"I don’t like those guys so I’ll vote for this guy, I don’t like him either, but at least he’s not THAT guy!"

- Kevin on Hawthorne Villager, talking about how people vote.  It’s funny cuz it’s true.

It’s yet another thing I’d been saying for years.  Finally, a study confirms it:

Perhaps most useful for them is the fact that researchers found perceptions of economic prosperity are not the leading drivers of attachment feelings among residents. Instead, most of the 14,000 respondents rated social offerings (such as entertainment and other venues that promote interconnectivity among residents), openness (acceptance of diversity) and community aesthetics as the top qualities that influenced decisions on where to anchor their lives and careers.

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I met Councillor Schau a couple of months ago.  Unfortunately, I did not talk to her ‘on the record’.  I intended to, but we chatted for a couple of hours and then I had to head back for work.  I never really got a chance to ask her to be ‘on the record’.

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Today’s book is All Marketers are Liars by Seth Godin.  I recommend it.

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I was at the Duncan Lane today for a bit.  It’s runs parallel to the CN track just North of Derry (and East of Scott).  The funny thing is that there is no sound barrier between the houses and rail tracks (okay, well, it’s not funny at all).  On some sections you can actually see the tracks from the other end of the street! 

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Hello,
I am wondering what the rationale is for the Town having a "Tennis Strategy"?  Why not have a have a generic strategy that can be applied to a host of activities? 

Overall, I am disappointed to see millions spent on outdoor tennis courts instead of indoor facilities that can be used year-round.  As far as I can tell, there is no indoor soccer turf planned or a tennis bubble or squash courts. 

Finally, Milton Sports Club’s expansion document has this text: "Squash courts are not recommended, as established through Community Services Master Plan".  What does that mean?  Community Services Master Plan’s public feedback document states: "The Town will be examining the feasibility of a bubble as part of a Tennis Strategy. This may also involve associated squash courts if deemed appropriate".  It would seem to me that since many residents are asking for a squash court, at least investigating it would be appropriate, instead of a vague “not recommended as established” comment. 

Who may I speak with to find out why Milton’s Community Services Masterplan decides that "squash courts are not recommended"?   Thanks.

Zeeshan Hamid
A Disappointed Resident

Honestly, am I wrong to expect a reason I can understand rather than “as established” when the document that “establishes” it says “will be investigated”?  It’s not about squash courts, tennis bubble or indoor soccer turf is okay.  Facilities that can be used throughout the year are better than facilities that can only be used for 4 months.  Facilities that thousands of residents will use are better than facilities that less than 200 people will use. 

Consider this from Milton’s Community Services Masterplan:

• It says: “Involvement in most organized sports (with the most notable exception being soccer) has been declining at the expense of informal and drop-in opportunities which are better able to respond to the time crunch.”
  [Zeeshan’s comment: this favours both soccer and squash]
• Milton has close to two dozen tennis courts.  Milton Sports Centre alone will have 4 ice rinks (I support it because 1) they can be used year-round and 2) can be used for drop-in solo activities)
• Also states: “…a preliminary analysis suggests that there is sufficient demand for an indoor turf facility, particularly given the
  increasing popularity of indoor turf sports and the provision of such facilities in growing municipalities of a similar size.”
• “The Town should refrain from providing any future racquet sport facilities (e.g., squash courts) as these sports are generally not deemed to be core municipal services and are best served by the private sector.”
  [Zeeshan: Why?  Mississauga provides squash court.  And why is tennis part of a “core municipal service”?  Or swimming pool (there are plenty of private pools in gyms)?  Or ice rinks?]
• “The Town should undertake a feasibility study for an indoor turf facility in order to determine the most suitable location and associated costs and operating structure.”
  [Zeeshan: Wouldn’t this be a better us of $3 million?]
• “The Town should develop a tennis strategy in order to determine the required number of facilities (lit and unlit), their location, if an enclosure/bubble is required, etc. Based on the research in this Plan, in order to meet the public demand for tennis courts there will be a need to provide six courts by 2016, with at least three likely required to be available for public use at no charge. New courts would ideally be suited in the Willmott, Scott and/or Harrison Neighbourhoods.”
  [Zeeshan: Why????  Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying not to do tennis courts. I am asking why tennis court or ice rink or swimming pool or BMX / Skateboard park is part of Milton’s core service but racquet sports is not]

I am on the case. 

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The town finally updated actions it took on feedback received on the Milton Sports Club expansion plan.  Here is a quote from it :-

Squash courts are not recommended, as established through Community Services Master Plan.

I would have thought in the Canadian climate indoor squash courts (can be used year-round) would be better than outdoor tennis courts.  I would be wrong since the town disagrees by spending millions on outdoor tennis courts as part of its Community Services Master plan and tennis strategy (yes, the town has a tennis strategy).   I suppose I should mention that 2/3rd of the $3 million it’s spending on the Nassgweya Tennis Club is coming from Federal and Provincial governments (although I am sure they would have given money for an indoor soccer turf just the same). 

I would pick up tennis but what good would it do in winter?

(Apparently I wasn’t the only one who wanted it, since someone asked for it in the public workshop as well. I did not attend that).  It shouldn’t be too much to ask for activities that do not require a team and can be done year round. 

This post is about to enter a ‘rant’ mode, so I will stop now.

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Today’s book is “Nudge”, by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sustein.

Let me start with the bad first. This book may get a bit dry for some people in the middle, especially when it starts talking too much about specifics of the US Social Security system.  However, there are parallels with Canada that should be useful to a Canadian reader as well.

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From an advertisement in Milton Canadian Champion:

No one in Halton that I have spoken with has told me that they neither want nor need an election.

My Math major head struggles with ambiguities of languages as it is, this sentence is making my head self-implode.  Double negation implies ‘everyone I have spoken with wants an election.’  But if everyone wants an election then what exactly is the problem?

:)

[Aside: Now I need to find an excuse to make fun of Deborah Gillis to keep my blog balanced]